Deathwish
by Skarleth
Summary: When her mother is murdered by a vampire, Ada is forced to hunt them down and in doing so discovers the Nightworld and we all know that love has never been so deadly.
1. Part 1

_I always hated the walk home from school, especially in winter. It is always dismal, bleak and usually it rains, just at that time of day, just to spite me. The walk is a long one, maybe even a few miles but the school bus does not pick up from my end of town. The streets are littered with rubbish and bin bags that the dustbin men have dropped but not bothered to pick up. The shops scream of cheapness, a few bars and Chinese takeaways are all that are left of a high street. _

"_Mom, I'm home" I called out into the darkness of the living room; we couldn't pay the electricity bill this month so the house is dark and freezing. I couldn't stop shivering as a closed the door and put down by bag. "Mom??" There is still no answer, which is quite unusual; she always likes to hear about my day. I stumble upstairs, once again hitting my head on the wooden beam that hangs too low. I should remember but I always forget about it. My head exploded in pain, I closed my eyes to steady myself and carried on up the stairs. There was a light coming from underneath the bathroom door, candle light, I frowned slightly that was extravagant, we were running out of candles. "Mom" I said again, rapping gently on the door. There was no resistance and the door swung open. Revealing my Mom in the bath. She was covered in blood and there were bite marks at her throat, she was stone cold. The window from the bathroom was open and the curtain was fluttering through it, there were bloody fingerprints on it, someone, the murderer had touched them. But the thing is, it can't have been some ordinary murder, there were bite marks at her throat. Do you understand how weird that is? To me bite marks at the throat scream vampire._

A high-pitched laugh came out from behind the desk, it was too much of a tinkle to be real, I blushed furiously, I can't help it, blonde hair, fair skin, I blush (terribly and embarrassingly). "Dear me, you can't honestly believe in vampires?" I knew what would happen if I said I did, so I shook my head dumbly.

"I see now that I was mistaken, I was in shock, what I said was ridiculous and wasted the policeman's time." I had been over this speech time and time again in my head. I had all my bases covered. Shock would mean that long term psychological damage would most likely be ruled out, acceptance shows that I am moving on and most of all I was being considerate of the police's time. Perfect victim, accepting and compliant. I kept a straight face, I was well aware that I was under scrutiny.

"Well that's fine then dear, if you just fill out the rest of these forms then your free to go." That women drove me crazy, she was so smug, but I filled in the forms and left the building. I knew what I had to do. My home was crime scene and I knew that vampires existed, what else could I do?


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2 Part 2

I rolled over quickly, moving out of the way of the snake wood stick that was aimed for my heart. If I had had time I would have rolled my eyes, vampires, they are so predictable. If a stake in the heart is good enough for them, then well it is good enough for everybody. Focusing all of my energy I flipped onto my feet and grabbed the stake that was embedded where I had lain a second ago. Before I could do so I was bowled over by the huge vampire, how I had vowed to kill. He was heavy and so much stronger than me. Desperately I tried to shrug him off but he had me pinned to the wall, in a perfect feeding position. He was only using one had it was so frustrating, after all of this training, I couldn't kill the bastard. He was using his other had to lift up my chin for a better strike at my neck.

While he was preoccupied with my jugular I reached down into the back pocket of my trousers for my last resort. While putting up a fight to keep him busy I suddenly ducked and stabbed into his heart. I always keep a spare in my back pocket. However it wasn't big enough, the wood had not reached his heart but it gave me time to move out of striking distance. The vampire grinned manically at me. He was beautiful, I'll give him that but his eyes, they were pitch black and terrifying.

I retreated to the other end of the shack and retrieved my original stake from the wall. I crouched down, keeping on the balls of my feet ready for his next attack. He ran towards me, but feinted trying to catch me off guard. He failed, as he changed his direction I lunged and drove the stake into his chest, this time it went all the way through. I straightened up, wiping the dirt, blood and sweat from my face and watched him shrivel and die. I thought that I would feel whole again but I just felt emptier. My mother's killer was dead but where did that leave me?

Circle daylight forced me to go back to school, I didn't want to go but Hannah and Thierry themselves spoke to me. I was too young to help the Circle full time but deep down I knew that if they needed me it would not matter if I was in school or not. Thierry had found me not long after my mother's murder. He had read the police report though I still do not know how he got them and came looking for me. I was still on the street at that point, half starved and barely alive. Only the thought of vengeance had held me together.

"Ada, over here," I smiled at Jade and sat down at our crowded table. School in Las Vegas was better than I had thought it would be. I had friends and was happy. There were a few members of Circle Daybreak at school; we formed our own select group. However Nightworlders attracter more attention and we pretty much ruled the school. It was a nice change from my old school where I had been ridiculed. "What's up?" I asked.

Jade moaned in dismay and answered "Him!" I looked across in the direction of her pointed finger and saw why she was so upset. "He's so gorgeous!" She was right, it was tall and dark with entrancing green eyes that seemed to change colour. He noticed I was staring at him and winked, I looked away quickly and felt a familiar blush creep up onto my cheeks.

"He's fair game," I said, as much as I loved Jade, if I have to lay off whenever she picked out a cute guy I would be single forever. I was living with Jade at the moment, the fact that she was a shapeshifter never bothered me, I was becoming used to the Nightworld and its eccentricities as I called them.

"Ok, here goes" whispered Jade conspiratorially, she swept back her long red hair and darted across the lunch table to arrive at the strangers empty lunch spot. I watched the talk for a few minutes, he did not seem interested, poor Jade she did not take rejection well. I lost focus and started to chat to the others about the latest high school drama, I barely noticed Jade slip back into her seat. She nudged me sharply; I have never know anyone have such pointy elbows. "What a prat!" she sighed looking at me with her huge amber eyes. He's one of us, lamia I think, they always think that they are better than us! Dammit its so frustrating"

"Don't worry bout it, you can tell from here that he is up himself, who cares. Did you hear about Michelle and David?? I cannot believe he cheated on her!"

"Yep, what can I say, men! Do you want to go out tonight?"

"No, I'v picked up a trail, I'm going hunting," I replied grimly, I had been sourcing out vamps for a few weeks and this time I was sure I had found a killer.

We had English Literature that afternoon, it was deadly boring, the teacher droned on interminably, it was a nightmare. "Remind me again why I do English Lit?" whispered Raven, who was sitting on my left.

"Honestly I have no idea," I whispered back slumping my head down on my desk. However someone was tapping my chair on the back, very annoying but it did attract my attention. The strange boy was behind me, holding out a note "It's from the guy at the back on the left," he said blankly. I nodded and held out my hand for it, his fingers brushed mine for a split second, making my fingers warm and tingly. I glanced at his face but he just stared impassively back. The note was not very interesting, my boyfriend, Jonas wanted to meet up, but I was bored and restless, I needed a good chase; a hunt.

I slipped out of the house that night, wearing my hunting clothes, black pants and a black leather jacket. It took me ages to pick up his trail but I knew that he usually haunted 33rd Street on Sunset Strip. It's where all the hookers go, easy pickings I guess. I watched for a long time, and then I noticed a dark figure leading a girl into an ally, that had to be it. I followed them silently, keeping in the shadows. They had not noticed my approach and I arrived in time to see his head bent to the girl's neck. Impulsively I whipped out my stake, I knew I should wait but the advantage of surprise was too good to miss. My first lunge caught his shoulder and he staggered back into the wall.

Then I saw his face, the guy from school but somehow it was different, inhumanly so. He had blood dripping from his lips, his sharp canine fangs were protruding form his mouth and his eyes were an emerald green, shining out of the dark ally. "What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded seeing that I was not going to strike again, I couldn't kill my classmate; he was not he vampire that I was looking for.

"Dammit!" I swore at him, I was so sure I had the killer. "I thought you were a killer."

"You lucked out there then." His arrogance was intensely irritating, I was standing with a stake in my hand and he was making quips. "Are we going to stand in this ally forever, I don't know about you but I am getting dripped on?"

"Fine, go" I replied retreating back to the glare of the street lighting. He came out the ally way straightening up his clothes and eyeing me up. "I'm not going to stake you" I said contemptuously rolling my eyes.

"You are an extraordinary girl" and with that he disappeared into the people of the street.


	3. Part 3

Part 3 Part 3

School the next day was terrible, I did not get any sleep after my interrogation from Jade, I hated lying to her but for some reason I did not want her knowing about what happened in the ally way, she would just over analyse it. She did believe me when I said that I had just wandered the streets without finding anything, I was pleased that she thought to highly of my tracking skills but it did not help the situation.

"So, are we going out this weekend?" asked Bracken, joining our little group outside school, we always waited for the last minute until we actually went in.

"I dunno, I'm kinda busy," I replied, I wasn't bothered about clubs etc, they just didn't do it for me.

"Come on!" pleaded Jade, "It's been ages since we went out anywhere!" I groaned but I was reconciled to the idea.

"So where do you want to go?" I asked. I didn't see the glance that passed between Jade and Bracken.

"Just a club, I think it's called the Black Iris – Saturday night ok?"

"Yeah that's fine," I was not particularly bothered about where we went.

I did not see the boy with emerald eyes that day, I think perhaps he was avoiding me, but then again the feeling was mutual and I am an expert at not being found. "Hey Ada," said a voice from behind me. I sighed and turn around, here was another person that I had been avoiding.

"Hi Jonas, how are things?" Things were tense between us, I had a sneaking suspicion that he was not all that he seemed. I thought he was human but I have been known to make mistakes. I turned on a smile and leant into his chest. He smelt wonderful, so incredibly masculine and strong. He bent down to give me a quick peck on the lips. He was tall, even compared to me and I was no dwarf. "You fancy going out this Saturday?" I asked softly, wrapping my arms round his neck and looking into his cool grey eyes.

"Sure, what did you have in mind?" he replied looking right back at me.

"Well Jade and Bracken want to try out another club, fancy coming along?" he did not look impressed; he didn't like dancing much; well he was terrible at it.

"That depends." I inclined my head "on you, are you going to stop ignoring me every time I don't fit in with your plans?" I groaned inwardly, he was way to perceptive, I hated to hang round with him when I could be with people from Circle Daybreak but I didn't realise that it was getting to him that much.

"Sure," I replied, giving him another hug before I detached myself and headed off into school hand in hand with Jonas.

"We are going to PARTY!" screamed Jade out of the window.

"Shut up!" I shouted "the neighbours will complain" but all the same I couldn't stop giggling. I had had way too much to drink and we weren't even at the Black Iris yet. I desperately pulled down my dress. I was wearing a black halter neck dress that showed off my legs far more than I would like. Jade noticed me fiddling with it and said,

"Aww, You've got nothing to worry about – with those legs!" and dissolved into giggles again. I heard a horn beeping outside and turned to look out of the window – however Jade and Bracken were already moving towards the door, shifters, typical.

The beat pounded through my ears, until it seemed synonymous with my heartbeat, the lights were bursting through my eyeballs, all I could see were blue flashes and the heaving bodies in front of me. Jade and Bracken were already ordering drinks and flirting with the barman, Jonas was nowhere to be seen. So I danced, losing myself in the music, it did not matter than I was not dancing with anyone, in the throng of dancers no one would notice a loner. I didn't have to think while I was dancing, I was just absorbing the rhythm, completely ignorant of what was going on around me. When I was tired of the music, I made my way back to the bar, where Jade was still trying unsuccessfully to hook up with the bartender. "You are so predictable!" I shouted into her ear, my own ears were ringing from the volume of the music. "This is some club!", that was as far as I would go to admitting that she was right, I was enjoying myself.

Jade wasn't listening, "look over there," she said, pointing to the door where two figures stood, casting their silhouettes onto the dance floor. People were cheering them in as if they were some well-known local heroes. Two men came into the club, patting people on the back and shaking peoples hands as they came through to the bar. To my absolute shock, one of them was the guy I had almost staked. My mouth opened and closed in horror. Suspiciously I began to glance around the room, my every look confirmed my doubts. The people here were insanely beautiful, they all looked like predators. "Jade, is this a … a Nightworld club?" Jade blushed and nodded slightly.

"Don't be cross, you said it yourself, this place is amazing." She then disappeared through the crowds, weaving her way towards Bracken. I stared in disbelief. If I was found out, it could mean death, I couldn't believe that they had let me bring Jonas here.

"So, can I buy you a drink?"

"Will you tell me your name?"

"Ivor Redfern."

"I'll have a coke." He raised an eyebrow.

"It's Ada, my name is Ada."

"Nice name, so Ada, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" his eyes gleamed piercingly through the smoke and dingy darkness of the club. I was suddenly terrified, he was stronger than me and I didn't have a stake.

"Nothing really – my friends are dancing at the moment."

"Jade, she's a shifter, isn't she" he spat the word out as if it offended him. "So what are you, your not a vampire, and I am pretty certain that you are not a shifter." He leaned in, his sharp white fangs were just indenting his lower lip but I did not make a sound as he looked deeply into my eyes. "Witch" he wasn't really talking to me so I did not answer him. "Wait here." It was not a request so I stayed where I was, even if I moved I could not get very far, the crowds of people saw to that.

"I told you she was a witch" boasted Ivor to his friend.

"Fine, all the same I don't like the look of her."

"Lighten up Quinn, you're just sad that I saw her first!"

"Have your fun, I'm going hunting." He left bad temperedly through the doors that he had just come in by.


End file.
